Words by Smiley Team
Connecting artists to a global audience in more than 40 countries, True Colors Festival this month launched a music video to reinforce their message of equality and that everyone is part of a global family.
Created by philanthropic organisation the Nippon Foundation in 2006, the festival promotes diverse artists across the visual and performing arts. In this spirit, its latest music video showcases an array of talent from around the world, singing an uplifting cover of the R&B and soul song, ‘You gotta be’, by British singer Des’ree.
The festival’s executive producer, Audrey Perera, explained: “It’s about seeing what we have in common, and not what divides us. It’s a reminder that when it comes down to it, we’re all human, living together in our one world.”
In the music video, viewers gradually see the performers one by one, as they commence their sections of the song, interwoven with extracts from their daily lives. The artists include guitarists, vocalists, drummers, pianists and more.
“As you watch the video, you will notice some of them have disabilities,” said Audrey, “but what you will notice first is the talent, the joy and their mastery of each instrument, or voice.
“You will notice that we’ve captured moments in their life, doing things that we all do, like playing with our pets, waking up in the morning and having a cup of coffee. So this is one way to tackle barriers and misconceptions.”
Since its release on 14 June 2021, the music video – a new take on British recording artist Des’ree’s R&B classic, You Gotta Be has been viewed more than 1 million times, and counting. “This is a truly powerful video – so invigorating and energizing, elevating the sentiment of the song and its message. The artists’ introductions at the end add even deeper resonance to their already inspiring performances,” said Des’ree.
Building on the theme of diversity, another highlight of this year’s festival was a True Colors fashion show to stimulate a dialogue between diverse models and designers.
“Again, the point of that exercise was to let the viewer watch the conversations happening in which very honest emotions and preconceptions came to the surface. It offered a safe space for designers and models and was very powerful because these conversations weren’t curated but were totally honest. The outcome was simply: accessible design and adaptable clothing,” Audrey said.
As well as the True Color Festival, the Nippon Foundation runs various other initiatives that encourage inclusion, diversity and equality.
These include the Valuable 500 scheme, which encourages member companies to engage more with the needs of disabled employees and to promote equality.
In addition, the foundation’s Paralympic Support Center drives inclusivity through education around media narratives, nutrition and accessibility in the Paralympics.
Audrey added: “It’s not about disability, per se. It’s about celebrating heroes in the same way that all sports all over the world have heroes.”
For more information about the festival visit truecolorsfestival.com.
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